Author
Topic: UC-ESA Support Group Panic (Read 236 times)

Hello,I'm having a serious panic attack right now and in quite a state. Not sure if you remember but last Xmas I went through the WCA yet again and one of the 'fake' medicals and only in Feb 2018 did I get a letter to say I was in the Support Group.

Well today I read that my area is switching to universal credit in december. SERIOUSLY DECEMBER??!!!!!!!!!of all the damn months to put people though that! They are SO heartless!!!!!

and I'm now in total panic because I'm worrying that when they move me from ESA to UC it will trigger ANOTHER WCA during Xmas. Last time was a nightmare, I got through it but it was very very hard and the thought of going thought it again the SAME year has me in total panic.

OK SteveFirst - stop panicking - going full service for UC does not mean that you are being moved to UC. Going full service means that anyone who needs to make a new claim to any income related benefit is forced onto UC.Existing claimants who already get Income related ESA, Income related JSA, Income Support, Housing benefit, working tax credits or child tax credits will REMAIN on those benefits. The transition to universal credit will not happen for EXISTING claimants until 2020 or 2021 IF the government can get the transitional protection legislation sorted out.

The only way you would end up on UC would be if you had a change of circumstances that closed your ESA claim. If you started a job you couldn't claim tax credits or if you had a child born after the full service date (for me is 18/9/18) then you cant claim child tax credits but will need to claim UC. Only other thing would be if you moved to a tenancy outside your local authority area then you couldn't make a new claim for housing benefit but would claim UC. If you move within the area you retain the housing benefit.

So you presumption that they WILL MOVE ME FROM ESA TO UC is wrong - this wont happen for several years and no one knows what the state of UC will be once everyone is on UC - the whole system could fail.